As a middle school teacher, I see this in my district too. Maybe high school teachers are focused on only technique because they are getting students ready for college. We are too, but a major goal of middle school art is to generate interest so that students will take high school art and to promote arts understanding and appreciation, as many students could never have art again in their educational career. If your students are learning the same skills, but are also enriched by the contextual knowledge that they receive, I wouldn't worry about what other teachers think. Knowledge of cultures, questions dealing with the nature and meaning of art, etc. not only enrich their experience, but motivates them to learn. I see no reason why students can't have fun while they learn the skills.
I guess that's why I'm a middle school teacher. LOL.
Jancy

Joe Cox <bjcoxteachart@msn.com> wrote:
As I am reading the various posting on middle school lessons and high school lessons and I am how much differences there are in the two. I teach High School but often the students I have haven't had art since elementary school. Their skill level is divently at an elementary level but their maturity is at a high school level.

I guess the reason I am posing this guestion is often I read about a lesson that someone has posted and I would think that it would be a great project. For example studying Egyptian art and doing a project inspired by that culture and style of art. I run this by the other art teacher in my school and his comment is "That is so middle school." I don't think it is. Am I wrong? I have seen a lot of middle school projects come through here that I thought would be great for my high school students but worried that it wouldn't be appropriate at the age level I teach.

What we focus on is E and P of Design and realistic drawing and developing technique which is great but I want to try different thinks like doing a project in the style of another culture. Am I way off base here?